On Thu, 16 Sep 1999, chchar wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Please advice me what programming language should I choose, if I
> plan to create a system such as Payroll System or Inventory Control
> System in Linux OS.
>
> This programming language should also easy enough to create a menu
> interface such as radio button, checkbox, dropdown menu, select menu
> etc. And finally I can save my data from the data entry program
> into MySQL databases.
>
> From what I know, I has the options either by using Perl, Java, PHP,
> C++, C, Python or TCL because they provide an API to connect to MySQL.
>
> But which is the best choice for me ? Please advice.
IOW, your class project for the semester is to write such a beast
- a practicing experienced programmer would make that decision from the
parameters of the problem and the tools he knows best. Well, no real
objection there.
In the "real world" the primary issue is (well, should be) ease
and cost of maintenance of a program that otherwise solves the real
problem. PHP practically limits the scope of the interface to web
browsers (not otherwise a bad thing, but not good, a priori). Real
world maintainability is a function of availability of skilled programmers
for the implementation language; unless the shop has a steady pool of
talent in such that throws out tcl and python (for now, anyway). C is
an excellent language for low level work but doesn't play OO well;
it does work well embedded with C++ however. This leaves C++/c, perl,
and java. I like perl, but "everyone" knows perl but very few know
it well, and the "more than one way to do it" philosophy combined with
no typing make it (IMO - ymmv) unsuitable for large projects with more
than one maintainer.
At this point it is a question of resources and problem definition.
C++ gives better performance (at least for now), but skilled programmers
are expensive, and even an experieced programmer will have a learning
curve for any particular graphics library unless you are lucky enough to
find a programmer with experience with the toolkit you choose.
"Experienced" java programmers are a rare commodity but "commodity" java
programmers flood out of of schools with freshly minted BS/CS degrees each
spring and my 14yo daughter is doing textbook java progery - it's a simple
language to learn (once you "get" OO) and strict enough to keep all but
the most determined from shooting themselves in the foot. Likewise the
graphics tookit is standardized and (with some reservations) wora works -
more, you can write the application then easily port pieces to
applet/servlet combo's. (java's strictness and ease are such that I
sometimes use it as a prototyping language for tasks for which it is
otherwise unsuited, then once proved, rewrite the logic in c).
My biggest problem with java is that support for java on linux lags
behind. I hope this changes soon.
-- TWZ
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Copyright 1999 by Terrence W. Zellers. All rights explicitly reserved. |
| email: terrence.w.zellers@stripped www.voicenet.com/~zellert/pub.key |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| War is harmful to children and other living things. |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Content reproduced on this site is the property of the respective copyright holders. It is not reviewed in advance by Oracle and does not necessarily represent the opinion of Oracle or any other party.